Which of the following is a common finding on a blood smear from an animal with autoimmune hemolytic anemia?

• A. Heinz bodies
• B. Spherocytes
• C. Howell-Jolly bodies
• D. Target cells

Answer: (B)

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia often causes red blood cells to lose membrane material as they’re attacked by antibodies and are removed by splenic macrophages. This membrane loss makes the cells become small and round with increased central pallor, known as spherocytes. The presence of spherocytes on a blood smear is a classic finding in AIHA because it reflects extravascular hemolysis driven by immune destruction.

Other options aren’t typical for AIHA: Heinz bodies are inclusions from oxidative damage to hemoglobin, not immune-mediated RBC destruction. Howell-Jolly bodies are nuclear remnants seen with splenic dysfunction or absence. Target cells arise from membrane or hemoglobin abnormalities related to liver disease or certain hemoglobinopathies.